Subject: WS100 Crew/Pace Report a tribute to Joan Messick
From: DBURSLER@webtv.net (David Bursler)
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 19:25:42 -0400
This was the first time I had the opportunity to crew/pace and I was
very excited. I'm still not exactly sure how it came about but I think
I begged Joan to let me help her. We met for the first time in
September of 2003 when she e-mailed me requesting information about the
course. I told her what I knew and offered to pace her if she wanted.
I heard from her again a few weeks later when she e-mailed me to tell me
she would be backing out of JFK. We've been friends ever since then I
asked her again if I could pace her but she was adamant about doing it
herself. Eventually over time she agreed to allow me to be there.
Joan is a very organized person and meticulously plans for success. The
WS100 was not different. She gave me all the tools necessary to help her
finish and made my job easier.
As she began her trek up the mountain at 5 a.m. in Squaw Valley I made
my way to the first crew checkpoint at Robinson's Flat. According to
Joan's plan she expected to arrive there at 10:30 a.m. The crew
instructions in the manual directed me to allow 2 hours to get there. I
assumed I had plenty of time and stopped 2 miles down the road at a
convenience store. There I got ice, water, and my breakfast, a blueberry
muffin. I didn't realize it at the time but this would be my last
opportunity to get food for a long time. I followed the directions
to Robinson's Flat which told me to get on interstate 80 and exit at the
Auburn-Foresthill Road exit. Since I didn't scout out the aid stations
ahead of time I was lost almost immediately. You may wonder how I could
be lost on an interstate. The answer is I didn't count on driving
almost 100 miles to get to the first checkpoint. I kept driving West on
I-80 worried I passed the exit. A couple of times I pulled over to ask
directions but no one seemed to know of the road. I had my cell phone
with e so I called my mother and brother , whom crewed for me last year.
I asked them if they could remember how far down 80 the exit was.
Neither could help me. I stopped on more time to get gas and at the
same time purchased a map of the area. Believe it or not I could not
locate the road on the map. Finally I opened up the WS program because
I remembered some small maps were included in the crew section of the
booklet. I was relieved to find I was going in the right direction.
It's about a 60 mile drive on I-80 until the exit. It's then another 17
miles until the town of Foresthill and then 30 or so miles to Robinson's
Flat. In total it took me 2 1/2 hours to get there. When there I was
allowed to drive all the way up to Robinson's Flat to park. Some people
who came later were asked to stay at the bottom and park at Sailor's
Flat to be shuttled up.
Once at the aid station I found an excellent spot to set up. I had a
chair, and ice cooler full of water, Gatorade, Ensure, and Red Bull. I
also had a backpack full of any medication she possibly could have
needed. Joan has really bad asthma so the most important thing I had
ready for her was her inhaler.
I watched as the leaders, Jurek and Mackey hustled through in about 3
1/2 hours. It was very impressive to see these guys blast through the
aid station as quickly as they did.
As I was waiting I met up with many different people including one
gentlemen who had some very good news for me. He just dropped from
Hardrock moving me up the list another notch. I honestly felt bad for
him but couldn't help but feel good for myself. I also met up with some
members of the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club. I talked with the
mother and father and Bryan Powell and Vicky Kendall. Bryan's mom was
really worried because this was her son's first one hundred miler and
she wasn't sure how to help. I tried my best to reassure her that
everything would be okay. Her main job would be just to support him and
encourage him.
I waited for 10:30 to here and when it came and went I worried. I
asked a race official if #274 had somehow slipped by without me seeing
her. He said no but just as he was answering I saw Joan coming in. She
looked a bit out of it but not particularly tired. As she was being
weighed in I raced back to the spot I had set up for her to tend to her
needs. When she arrived she told me that the altitude caused a lot of
problems for her. She was stopped by medical personnel because of her
condition. She told me she literally could not think straight and at one
point forgot her name. I talked with her for a while to make sure she
was okay before sending her ff. I told her that it would be easier from
this point on because the course drops in elevation. Breathing. would
be easier so she would regain her composure. Since she put on 3 pounds I
asked her to lay off the Gatorade and anything with salt until she
starts urinating. I'm not sure she heard anything I said but she was
ready to go and I let her. I promised to meet her in 4 miles at Little
Bald Mountain.
It would only be a 1/2 mile hike up the hill from the Robinson's Flat
aid station to Little Bald Mountain. I lugged the chair backpack and
cooler up with me. Joan had to go 4 miles so I knew I easily had plenty
of time. Still I rushed to get up there so I could get a decent spot to
meet her and have things ready. While waiting for Joan I started what
would become a common occurrence throughout the day. I called my mom to
update her on Joan's progress. It helped to pass time and my mom seemed
genuinely interested. It wasn't long before Joan came hustling down the
hill into the aid station. She still looked a bit out of it but still
better. I think at this point her confidence level was shattered more
than anything. She was concerned because everyone else seemed so happy
and looked so good, at least in her eyes. What I told Joan was that
everyone feels like crap at this point. Everyone has an ache or a pain.
Some people show it outwardly and some people; can disguise it. Make
the best of what you got and go. I tried my best to reassure Joan that
the effects of the altitude would wear off soon. Just be patient and
walk when needed. There was plenty of time and no reason to panic. I
filled her bottles with water and walked about 1/4 mile down the trail
with her trying to build up her confidence. I was worried but I wasn't
about to let her know it. I know how tough she is and deep down I knew
if she just kept going she would feel better soon. It was a matter of
how much she wanted it. I sent her on her way hoping I still had enough
time to make it to the next crew point, mile 38, Dusty Corners.
According to the guide Dusty Corners should not be attempted if there is
only one crew. Crew A should go directly to Michigan Bluff at mile 55
while crew B goes to Dusty Corners. Well, I calculated the time it
would take Joan to go the 10 or so miles and I gambled and made my way
out there. At her rate of speed I figured it would take her 2 1/2 hours
to reach Dusty Corners. The guide says 2 hours should be allowed to get
from Robinson's Flat to Dusty Corners. It's a 30 or so mile drive back
to Foresthill and another 24 on Mosquito Pass Road. Mosquito Pass Road
is a winding, twisting road that switchbacks up a couple of mountains.
Approximately 1/2 way up the first mountain I crossed over a bridge that
connects to a second mountain. At this point it is a constant climb up,
twisting and turning constantly. A slight loss of concentration could
mean death since there is no guard rail on this road to protect against
falling into the canyon below. It's a long 24 mile ride up to Dusty
Corners and time was of the essence. I was worried Joan would make it
there before I would. Finally I arrived, parked, and ran to a race
official to see if she made it there yet. He told me no so I ran back
to the car, retrieved everything I needed and waited for her to arrive.
There were not many people at this point crewing for runners. I guess
most people took the advice of the guide and stayed away. As I looked
down the trail I notice that Joan would be coming uphill into the aid
station. I decided to move everything a bit further down the hill so
she could stop part way up. I thought this would make it a lot easier
for her. Just as I was making my way down here she came. I set
everything down quickly and got ready for her. She looked great. She
didn't have the smile I've become accustomed to but she looked strong
and confident. I told her exactly that. Joan sat in the chair and
rested while I filled her water bottles. with ice. She requested a sock
change, so I dug through the backpack looking for clean socks. I looked
two times unsuccessful both times. I asked her if she could wear mine
but she said no. I checked a third time and it was as if God Himself
dropped a pair of socks in when I wasn't looking because they were there
this time. I didn't question it I was just happy they were there. Joan
removed her dirty socks and I checked her feet for blisters. No damage
but they were really dirty. Dirty feet can cause blisters later in the
race so I dumped water on them, removed my shirt and started cleaning her
feet. Thankfully some people next to us saw what I was doing and
offered some baby wipes. This definitely did a better job than my
shirt. I thanked them and finished cleaning all the dirt off of Joan's
feet. She put the clean socks on but kept the same shoes. After getting
her back together we walked up the hill to the aid station. As we
walked I continued reassuring her she was doing good and that there was
plenty of time. I reminded her that I would not see her again until
Michigan Bluff, mile 55.7 She said she knew and was off to the
canyons. I went back to retrieve all our stuff to load the car and make
my way back down treacherous Mosquito Pass Road. Joan had to run 17
miles through the canyons so I knew I had plenty of time to get to
Michigan Bluff. The scenery is beautiful on Mosquito Pass Road but I
didn't want to look too long for fear of becoming part of it.
It was only another 5 miles down Auburn-Foresthill Road to Michigan
Bluff. First I had to traverse the 24 mile stretch down Mosquito Pass
Road. I stopped in the town of Foresthill to get gas and ice. This was
also my first opportunity since early morning to get something to eat.
I got a frozen turkey sandwich and forced it down. There's nothing like
a frozen turkey sandwich from a gas station. At this point, though, I
wasn't complaining. I was starving and would have eaten anything.
I made my way to Michigan Bluff knowing I would probably have to park
far away and walk. Just as I thought when I got there I was directed to
park a mile away. I walked a 1/2 mile to a shuttle bus which took me
the remaining 1/2 mile into the aid station. I got off the bus found a
good spot to set-up and began my long wait for Joan to arrive.
Thankfully there was a refreshment stand there selling hamburgers,
popsicles, and sodas. Since the turkey sandwich hardly did anything to
satisfy my hunger I had a little bit of everything the stand had to
offer.
As I was waiting I met up again with Vicky Kendall who was there
supporting members of the VHTRC. I updated her on Joan's progress and
she let me know how her friends were doing. It was late afternoon and
still very warm. I took the time to check Joan's predicted time sheet.
She wanted to arrive in Michigan Bluff around 7:15. Based on her
earlier pace from miles 28 to 38 I thought she had a good chance to make
it. I passed time watching other runners enter the aid station. Some
smiling, some grimacing, some calling it a day. Finally 7:15 came and
went and I was very nervous. I checked with a race official two times
to make sure she hadn't come through with out me noticing her. He
assured me she wasn't there yet and recommended I check the posted list
to see what time she arrived at Devil's Thumb. She got there okay but I
was still worried so I was directed toward a gentleman who was tracking
the runners via the internet. He told me Joan made it to El Dorado
Creek, mile 52.9, at 6:19 p.m. It was now 7:20 p.m. and I thought to
myself surely she could run 2.8 miles in an hour.....right? I didn't
take into account the long climb up from El Dorado Creek to Michigan
Bluff and the fatigue factor.
I was relieved when Joan made her way down the path into the aid station
around 7:44 p.m. I had a hamburger for her that I bought 30 minutes ago
so it was now cold. I rushed to the refreshment stand and bought
another so she could have hot food to eat before heading out in the
dark. She looked and sounded great. I tried to give as much
encouragement as I could. As she sat and tried to eat her hamburger I
rushed to the aid station to get her more coke. After a few more
minutes of sitting we walked down the road together to where the trail
meets the road. I left her there promising to meet her at Foresthill
School where I would start pacing.
As I left I noticed the shuttle bus arriving to pick up a group of
people. I figured there was no way I would make this bus. I rushed
back anyway to pack up my stuff. I noticed the bus wasn't going anywhere
so I walked very fast towards it getting within 100 yards before it
left. I figured, no big deal, I'll catch the next. I asked when the
next bus was coming only to be told that was the last of the night. I
had the ice cooler, backpack, and chair to lug a mile up hill back to my
car. I figured what the heck I need a workout anyway. Besides, I
didn't have much of a choice. As I was walking I was hoping a car would
stop and offer me a ride. Not to be on this night. I walked very fast
and made it back to the car in 16 minutes. I loaded up and hoped to
find a parking spot at Foresthill School.
When I arrived at Foresthill School the place was packed and full of
activity. I managed to find a spot about a quarter mile down the road.
I prepared myself to pace her the final 38 miles. I dressed in my
running clothes, made sure I had my flashlight, and put water in my
bottles. I was a little worried because we did not make preparation to
retrieve the car at the finish. I was told a lot of people do it and it
normally isn't a problem to get a ride back. I carried the keys to the
car and my wallet with me. I thought about carrying my cell phone but
thought it would be too bulky.
I secured the car and walked to the school waiting for Joan to arrive.
It was now about 9 p.m. and I didn't anticipate her arrival until around
10. The place was really jumping with a lot of lights and an announcer
greeting runners as they entered and a time clock with the official
time. As I waited I talked with some anxious pacers and dejected
runners who had to drop for one reason or another.
Joan arrived about 20 minutes before I anticipated. She not only looked
strong but she was strong. She had a second life, she was a new person.
We spent very little time at the aid station before heading out
together. It was now my job to get her in the last 38 miles. I took it
seriously and was prepared to do anything within the rules to get her to
Placer High School under 30 hours.
We left at 9:44 p.m. well under the cutoff for that particular aid
station. We stopped at the car so Joan could get her pack but then we
were off again. Amazingly enough I think I felt worse than she did. My
stomach was upset, my throat was sore, and my knees hurt. I never
indicated any problem to her but I was actually worried I might not make
it 38 miles.
I'm a talker when I run and Joan just concentrates. Sometimes I wonder
if I'm helping or hurting by talking. I just kept it up the whole time
because I'm a believer that silence leads to loss of focus. I led most
of the way to the next aid station at 65 miles. I pointed out rocks and
roots in the path that could be potential tripping hazards. She ran
most of the way pausing to walk some uphills. It continued on this way
through the next aid station at 70.7 and then to 73. We walked and ran
taking turns in the lead. Joan was very upbeat and energetic. We ran
with a group of runners who were very loud. No matter how far apart we
were we could always hear them talking. This was when Joan made one of
the funniest comments I had heard all night. She said she didn't like
running with these guys because they were loud. She wanted to run with
the normal runners. I looked at her and said "Sweetheart, no one out
here is normal".
I think we were both looking forward to the river crossing at mile 78.
We could hear the water rushing as we left the Ford's Bar aid station at
mile 73 but could not see it. It stayed like this for what seemed to be
an eternity. Finally it was alongside us and visible. It wouldn't be
long now. I could see lights in the distance and told Joan we were
close. I estimated about a mile but she told me to keep my estimates to
myself. The first estimate I made of 300 yards earlier turned into about a
mile and a half. When arriving we were led down a steep, rocky river
bank and asked to wrap our packs around our necks. Our hands had to be
free to hold the rope to guide us across. There were several people in
the river to safely guide us across. Joan was thrilled and wanted to do
it again. After crossing we changed out of our wet clothes, refueled,
and headed up a steep hill a couple of miles to the next aid station.
We arrived at the river crossing at 2:30 a.m. and were on our way out 15
minutes later. I thought we made excellent time.
The uphill from the river crossing to the next aid station, mile 79.8,
seemed to go on forever. I tried to keep her mind off the climb by
talking about everything and anything. I kept feeding her encouragement
and assured her at this point she would finish.
I told her, based on my experience from running last year, that the
last 20 miles of the course is the easiest part. I asked her to be
patient as we walked the 2 miles up to the Green gate aid station. She
had a lot of energy and felt very strong. I held her back to allow her
to conserve energy for the more runnable parts.
As we left Greengate on our way to the mile 85.2 aid station I was ready
to push her to run. As we entered the trail I could tell immediately
that Joan was not happy with what I considered runnable. She actually
told me this was the worst part of the course. I think I may have
misled Joan into believing the last 20 miles were Vermont like. In
retrospect what I should have told her was that comparatively speaking
this was the easiest part of the course. I explained this to her and
asked her to run if she could and we will walk when she has to. I have
to admit the footing on this part of the course was a little iffy and
not as I had remembered from the previous year. It was still generally
flat with very little incline.
I think Joan struggled a little here because it just was not what she
expected. It was still night time and her body wanted to sleep. I
tried my best to be positive and assure her that if she keeps going
forward she will easily finish. Just persevere until the sun comes up
and new life will be given. It was a tough 5 miles for her but we made
it in decent time and again well before the cut-off.
In contrast the next 5 miles to mile 89.9 were Joan's best since earlier
in the night. We used a walk/run method to get to the next aid station
in 1 hour 5 minutes. It was mostly flat but I asked her to walk
whenever something even resembled a hill. If there were no inclines I
asked her to walk from tree to tree and run from tree to tree. We paced
another runner the entire time. He seemed very content to stay with us
and was happy to have some company. I kept shouting encouraging words
to Joan to keep her motivated. I asked her to show me what she has.
Show me how much heart she has. I told her that this was the best time
to take out all her anger and frustrations.
It was around 6:30 or so when we reached the aid station at mile 90. A
finish was in the bag. We only needed to keep going forward. I
remembered earlier that Joan was looking forward to getting beer at this
particular aid station. I could never drink a beer at 6 a.m. not alone
after running 90 miles. Since I knew she was looking forward to it I
asked a volunteer if he would oblige. Sure enough a glass of beer
appeared. The people at this aid station and all the aid stations were
great.
After finishing her beer Joan and I headed toward the Highway 49
crossing. I couldn't remember much about this 3.5 miles other than we
did go up a bit. As it turns out we went up a lot. Joan, once again,
was not to happy with me because I did not remember this. She never
once complained or whined but she definitely let me know she wasn't
happy with me. I tried to tell her that the only thing that mattered
was making it to the finish line. It doesn't matter what obstacles lie
ahead. The bottom line is she has to run 100.2 miles to finish. Whether
it's uphill, downhill, or through water. Just take what comes her way.
She forged ahead never saying much in reply but I'm sure deep down
inside she was cussing me.
The 3.5 miles to the Highway 49 crossing did seem to go on forever. I
wasn't sure we would ever stop climbing. I also figured we would have
to come down to the crossing and we did but not nearly as much as we
went up Finally we made it there a little before 8 p.m. Joan weighed
in, grabbed some food, refilled her water bottles and off we went. Our
next stop, "No Hands Bridge".
Here we go again, another climb. Joan didn't have to say anything this
time because I was cussing myself. Turns out this wasn't much of a
climb but it was enough to aggravate Joan's asthma. She started to
breathe erratically. I worried because even though we had some time to
spare it was limited. She couldn't afford a major breakdown now. I
told her to stay strong and walk slowly to get the breathing under
control. I think I scared her when I told her time was limited because
she became a woman possessed. We had about a half mile run through some
meadow and I made her continue the run/walk method we did earlier in
order to conserve energy. It was still to early to let it all loose.
When we reached a major downhill section leading to "No Hands Bridge" I
let her fly and she took advantage of every minute. She was in a zone,
nothing or no one was going to stop her. She ran all the way down the
mountain without stopping. I would occasionally look back to offer
encouragement and point out potential pratfalls but I could tell by her
eyes that she wasn't even listening. She was breathing heavily when we
arrived at the "No Hands Bridge" aid station but I could tell she still
had plenty left. What she lacked physically she made up for mentally.
There would be no stopping her on this day.
We left the "No Hands Bridge" aid station knowing there were only 3
miles or so to go. I told Joan to be prepared for one more tough climb.
Runners are really exposed to the elements on this part of the course.
Luckily the heat was bearable on this particular day.
Joan, probably exhausted from running downhill walked most of the next
mile or so before reaching the final climb. She was having some real
difficulty breathing again but just kept forging ahead. I kept shouting
encouragement back to her. I asked her to prove to me how strong her
legs are. I begged her to keep pushing forward. I pointed out the foot
prints on the ground and told her that each one of these people have
finished. They had to make the same climb in order to do so. All the
finishers have to make this climb. She struggled but finally made it to
the top.
The final mile was through a residential area beginning with a steep
incline for about a 1/4 of a mile on asphalt. We blew by the final aid
station and began the 1/4 mile walk. It was steep but nothing in
comparison to the mountains she had been climbing all day and night.
When at the top we were greeted by a nice downhill. It was at this time
that I asked Joan if she could run it into the finish. She agreed she
would try and off we went. There was one more obstacle in the way, a
short incline that normally Joan wouldn't even notice. On this day
though it looked like Mt. Everest. She pushed hard and I pushed her
hard. I tried my best to motivate her by telling her I was able to run
up this hill and into the finish last year. If I could do it she
certainly could. Her breathing was now totally out of control but I
continued to urge her to run. This is what people dream about. This is
a fantasy goal for some and you're about to achieve it. I could see the
entrance to the stadium coming up on our left and I pointed it out to
Joan. We entered and ran together around the track. I pulled off to
the right just before the finish line. I watched proudly as Joan, a
fellow Delawarean and good friend, crossed the finish line in 28:44:21.
Her official time was incorrectly recorded as 28:44:50. There was so
much confusion at the finish line because some crew members and pacers
ahead of us crossed the finish line with their runner. The volunteers
had a difficult time determining who finished where. Anyhow I snapped a
couple of pictures as the medical staff made some final observations of
Joan and the other runners that crossed before and after her. She was
feeling very bad and reported immediately to the medical tent.
I made sure she was okay and that some one was caring for her. After I
was sure her needs were being tended to I looked for some one to drive
me back to Foresthill for our car. Out of the corner of my eye I
spotted Vicky Kendall of the VHTRC. She graciously volunteered to take
me back to my car. Before leaving I walked Joan to the ladies shower.
She told me her heart was racing and she was very scared. I figured she
was just feeling the effects of running 100 miles and suggested she
shower and then see how she feels. I left to get the car after making
sure she got to the entrance of the ladies shower. When I returned I
found Joan in the medical tent again this time with the doctor and
another member of the medical staff. They said Joan had inhaled too much
Albuterol from her inhaler and that she was using it incorrectly.
Apparently a user needs to rinse out the mouth after each use. This was
something Joan was not doing because her personal physician never told
her to do this. She was having cardiac arrhythmia because of the
overdose of Albuterol. The medical team suggested she rest for an hour
or so until the chemical makes its way through her body. While she was
under the care of the physician I made my way down to collect her
buckle. She obviously would not be able to attend the awards ceremony
in her condition and I wanted to make sure she received her buckle. The
medical staff stayed with Joan the whole time and comforted her and
reassured her that she would be alright. It was comforting to me to
hear she would be okay also. They did an excellent job and took great
care of her. They allowed me to pull the car onto the field to pick Joan
up. I took her back to our hotel in Tahoe and put her to sleep. I
finished my job as her support team by emptying out the drop bags,
separating everything, and then packing our bags in preparation for our
flight out the next day.
It was a great event and an awesome personal achievement for Joan
completing her first 100 miler.
Dave Bursler
Bear, Delaware
P.S. Unfortunately I will not be participating in Hardrock this year.
I was in Silverton 2 days after the completion of Western States and had
to return home. because of some emotional distress I was having. I
wish everyone out there good luck and hopefully one day I'll be back.